Japan’s Princess Mako visits great-grandparents’ graves ahead of marriage to Kei Komuro
- About 100 people gathered at the entrance of the Musashino Imperial Graveyard in Tokyo’s Hachioji city to catch a glimpse of the princess
- Wearing a grey dress and a white face mask, Princess Mako bowed in front of the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and his wife Empress Kojun before leaving
Japan’s Princess Mako visited the graves of her great-grandparents in Tokyo on Tuesday to offer prayers ahead of her controversy-hit marriage to boyfriend Kei Komuro later this month.
The visit was made at the request of the 29-year-old princess, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, who is set to go ahead with the marriage that was imperilled by a financial dispute involving Komuro’s mother.
Princess Mako will skip the traditional wedding rites, the first time a female member of the royal family has done so in post-war Japan. Under the current rules, women lose their royal status once they marry a commoner.
Wearing a grey dress and a white face mask on a rainy day in the Japanese capital, Princess Mako bowed deeply in front of the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and his wife Empress Kojun and bowed to the press before leaving the site.
About 100 people gathered at the entrance of the Musashino Imperial Graveyard in Tokyo’s Hachioji city to catch a glimpse of the princess, who will be leaving the imperial household upon marrying Komuro on October 26.